Accor to expand Pullman brand globally in 2012

Accor president and chief operating officer Yann Caillere has outlined the expansion and development of its Pullman brand as a key priority in 2012. 

The upgrading and repositioning of the group's Sofitel brand into the 'luxury' segment has left a gap in the market for Pullman, according to Caillere. 

“Basically we have created a segment for us, a segment that Hilton or Sheraton is operating today, and this is why we have launched Pullman,” says Caillère. “Pullman is one of our biggest potentials of growth. By the end of 2011 we should be around 52 or 53 hotels,” he told Hotelier Middle East in December. 

The brand has quite a strong presence in Asia, with Europe, the Middle East and Africa identified as the next stages of development.

Some Pullmans have been converted from Sofitels, the company is rebranding a Hilton and a Le Méridien in Paris as Pullmans, and others will be new builds, Caillere said.

He explained the process of introducing the Pullman brand: “When I joined the company, we had 206 Sofitels but it was a mixed bag between three-plus star hotels to luxury hotels. So I said at that time, ‘when you are in the luxury segment you have to be very consistent and we can’t do it with that’, so we basically cut the network of Sofitel by half.

“We took out 110 hotels and we have added new hotels and in Dubai this is the case, we have two to come in the next few years — one on Palm Island and the other one off Sheikh Zayed Road. Step by step we have picked the best of the network or renovated them or signed new deals. Sofitel now is recognised as a luxury brand, if you look at the last J.D. Power Survey, we were rated in the luxury segment, no longer upper upscale, and they put us above Hyatt, Westin and InterContinental. That was great news,” said Caillère.

“And then, when we have taken out these 100 hotels, some of them were meant to be big convention hotels, airport hotels; that was Pullman and so we started with that.”

The focus on the the expansion of Pullman forms part of the group's wider strategy of brand diversification, according to Caillere. 

Click here to read the full interview with Yann Caillere.